DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA- Trueman “Dusty” Betts, a long-time community leader and activist for the city of Desert Hot Springs, has passed away suddenly on Saturday night. He was 82 years old.

Betts is also the father of City Councilman Russell Betts. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Betty and another son and daughter, plus three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Betts was born in 1926 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He served in World War II as a soldier and was also a coach for a women’s AA Track and Field group. Betts and his wife moved to California in the 1950s. Betts was also a major sports fan and enjoyed watching the Olympic Games, up until the last one in Beijing. In his later years, he became active in the community in which he lived in and for an interim; he worked as a salesman for Desert Local News, selling advertisements.

It wasn’t long ago when Betts celebrated his 82nd birthday and his 60th wedding anniversary.

Funeral services are still pending at this time.

All of us at the Desert Local News/ Fronteras family offer our condolences to the Betts family at this time. – Desert Local News©